Letters from America- An Immigrant’s Letter Home American History Mr. Sontheimer Leaving your home to go off to a new place is very difficult. Immigrants that came to America between 1885 and1914 were seeking betters lives but had very little understanding of the country that they were going to relocate their lives. In the case of many immigrants earlier waves of their fellow countrymen (or women!) were already in America and helped them to make the transition to a new life.You are going to put yourself in the place of one of these experienced immigrants and write a letter back to your home country to try and encourage more members of your family or community to join you (or not come!). Your final letter will be FIVE PARAGRAPHS LONG and follow the format that I have provided. All research materials will be available to you and may choose many of the details in your letter on your own. The following writing guide must be used for this assignment. You will also include 3-5 pictures to illustrate your letter. All of the following details should be included in your opening paragraph. (Paragraph 1) Circle Your Country of Origin Ireland Russia Poland Italy China Japan Africa Mexico Germany Scandinavia Other_ Circle the reasons you left your home country Religious Freedom Political Freedom Economic Opportunity Rejoin Family Curiosity Taken Forcefully Others_ Circle the methods and include the route that you used to travel here Ship from Europe Ship from Asia Ship from Africa Land Passage from the South or North Other_ Circle the city where you have settled (or closest if you decide to be a rural dweller New York City Philadelphia Charleston Harrisburg San Francisco Salt Lake City Other_ Work - All of the following details in this section should be included in your 2nd paragraph. What do you to support your family? Immigrants had a wide variety of jobs depending on their destination.Choose one occupation below (it must make sense for example you cannot be a fisherman in Salt Lake City) and include details from research about your job. Circle One Coal Miner Steel Worker Garment Worker Slaughterhouse Farmer Fisherman Other_ Improvements- All of the following details should be included in your 3rd paragraph. How is life in America better? What do you like about living here compared to the place that you came from? Do you have more freedom? Do you have better food? What types of material possessions have you acquired? What else would you like to have? (remember all of these should be appropriate to the time period. You cannot have a plasma screen tv!) Obstacles-All of the following details should be included in your 4th paragraph. What is hard about being an immigrant? Do you pay high rent? Is your home crowded? Do you face discrimination at work? What types of wages are you paid? Do you have to food available that you like? Conclusion- All of the following details should be included in your 5th paragraph. Finish your letter back to your native country by trying to convince someone else to either join you or stay home. Promote the benefits of immigration or warn your compatriots back home about the dangers of coming. Remember to summarize some of your key arguments from earlier in the letter to complete the task. Pictures-Your letter should be illustrated with 3-5 pictures that show aspects of your journey to America and the life you are living as an immigrant. If you need help inserting or finding photos please see me.
Terms to Define- Click on Links to research what these terms mean. Please create a summary for each one and place it in your wikispace. I suggest that you do this first in order to learn more for your letter. The Huddled Masses- The statue of liberty is the tallest metal statue ever constructed. The statue symbolizes the American freedom and “a lady of hope” to many immigrants. The New Immigrants- In 1886 about 334,203 immigrants came to America; this was the year of the dedication of the statue. In 1900, 14 percent of the American population was foreign born. Passports were unnecessary and the cost of crossing the Atlantic was just $10 in steerage. The Chinese Exclusion Act- During 1882-1943 many Chinese immigrants were denied citizenship.All Chinese people, except travelers, merchants, teachers, students, and those born in the United States were barred from entering the country. Contract Agreement- During the 19th century the demand for manual laborers grew. This demand for manual labor was met by indentured or contract workers. These laborers served under contracts which required them to work for a period of time, usually five to seven years, in return for their travel expenses and maintenance. They were provided food, clothing, shelter, and Medicare. Immigration Restriction- During the late 19th and early 20th century, the United States imposed additional restrictions on immigration. Such as those people who were criminals, considered immoral, suffering from various diseases, or certain nationalities. United States's Changing Face- As a result of massive immigration the United States has become the first truly multi-racial advanced industrial society. Work has always been the greatest magnet attracting migrants to the United States. Many fear that immigrants will make use of our services like welfare or unemployment benefits more frequently than our natives. cut_
Grade Criteria-Please attach to final paper draft.
/15Letter contains five well-written paragraphs that are joined together with a logical introduction and conclusion. Must include completed writing guide.
/ 15 Letter contains AT LEAST three relevant and plausible details about immigration and the immigrant experience
/ 10 Letter demonstrates creativity and enthusiasm for the assignment.
/ 10 Required terms are displayed in wikispace with letter and pictures.
American History
Letters From American
Heidi Benner
9/24/09 Dear Mom and Dad,
My life is great since I came over America. I don’t miss Ireland, I wanted to see more land overseas. I sailed on a boat from Europe. The ships were packed with people and really crowed. I have settled in Fairfield, Alabama this city is great, it’s a very low population and everyone here is friendly.
I work on a cattle farm I like it, but it’s a lot of hard work. I have to feed the cows, clean pens and work out in the field with the team of horses. There is not that many people working on the farm that I work at. Everyone down here is really nice and we all help each other out. So the job gets done faster. I live on the farm, with two other people. We have a 4 room house, it’s really small but its something to live in. We all support each other.
America is great, we get paid not that much but at least it’s something. It’s better than home because everyone is nice, the food is great but we eat the same food over again, during breakfast so it gets old with grits and bacon every morning. I have a lot of freedom in the little country town. The population is only round 85 or so. So everyone knows everyone.
Being a immigrate is somewhat hard we work hard and long hours for very little money. I live on the work farm, we pay rent it is high but we get paid 40 cents a hour. There is 3 other people living with me. So we all save our money and combine it together to get food and the major needs. We all get treated the same. In conclusion I hope you think about coming over to America. Its nice and we all great treated equally. Its unusual to get treated this nice with the farmers that we work for. I am saving up all my money to hopefully buy a house and land some day.
Letters from America- An Immigrant’s Letter Home
American History
Mr. Sontheimer
Leaving your home to go off to a new place is very difficult. Immigrants that came to America between 1885 and 1914 were seeking betters lives but had very little understanding of the country that they were going to relocate their lives. In the case of many immigrants earlier waves of their fellow countrymen (or women!) were already in America and helped them to make the transition to a new life. You are going to put yourself in the place of one of these experienced immigrants and write a letter back to your home country to try and encourage more members of your family or community to join you (or not come!). Your final letter will be FIVE PARAGRAPHS LONG and follow the format that I have provided. All research materials will be available to you and may choose many of the details in your letter on your own. The following writing guide must be used for this assignment. You will also include 3-5 pictures to illustrate your letter.
All of the following details should be included in your opening paragraph. (Paragraph 1)
Circle Your Country of Origin
Ireland
Russia
Poland
Italy
China
Japan
Africa
Mexico
Germany
Scandinavia
Other_
Circle the reasons you left your home country
Religious Freedom
Political Freedom
Economic Opportunity
Rejoin Family
Curiosity
Taken Forcefully
Others_
Circle the methods and include the route that you used to travel here
Ship from Europe
Ship from Asia
Ship from Africa
Land Passage from the South or North
Other_
Circle the city where you have settled (or closest if you decide to be a rural dweller
New York City
Philadelphia
Charleston
Harrisburg
San Francisco
Salt Lake City
Other_
Work - All of the following details in this section should be included in your 2nd paragraph.
What do you to support your family? Immigrants had a wide variety of jobs depending on their destination. Choose one occupation below (it must make sense for example you cannot be a fisherman in Salt Lake City) and include details from research about your job.
Circle One
Coal Miner
Steel Worker
Garment Worker
Slaughterhouse
Farmer
Fisherman
Other_
Improvements- All of the following details should be included in your 3rd paragraph.
How is life in America better? What do you like about living here compared to the place that you came from? Do you have more freedom? Do you have better food? What types of material possessions have you acquired? What else would you like to have? (remember all of these should be appropriate to the time period. You cannot have a plasma screen tv!)
Obstacles-All of the following details should be included in your 4th paragraph.
What is hard about being an immigrant? Do you pay high rent? Is your home crowded? Do you face discrimination at work? What types of wages are you paid? Do you have to food available that you like?
Conclusion- All of the following details should be included in your 5th paragraph.
Finish your letter back to your native country by trying to convince someone else to either join you or stay home. Promote the benefits of immigration or warn your compatriots back home about the dangers of coming. Remember to summarize some of your key arguments from earlier in the letter to complete the task.
Pictures-Your letter should be illustrated with 3-5 pictures that show aspects of your journey to America and the life you are living as an immigrant. If you need help inserting or finding photos please see me.
Terms to Define- Click on Links to research what these terms mean. Please create a summary for each one and place it in your wikispace. I suggest that you do this first in order to learn more for your letter.
The Huddled Masses- The statue of liberty is the tallest metal statue ever constructed. The statue symbolizes the American freedom and “a lady of hope” to many immigrants.
The New Immigrants- In 1886 about 334,203 immigrants came to America; this was the year of the dedication of the statue. In 1900, 14 percent of the American population was foreign born. Passports were unnecessary and the cost of crossing the Atlantic was just $10 in steerage.
The Chinese Exclusion Act- During 1882-1943 many Chinese immigrants were denied citizenship. All Chinese people, except travelers, merchants, teachers, students, and those born in the United States were barred from entering the country.
Contract Agreement- During the 19th century the demand for manual laborers grew. This demand for manual labor was met by indentured or contract workers. These laborers served under contracts which required them to work for a period of time, usually five to seven years, in return for their travel expenses and maintenance. They were provided food, clothing, shelter, and Medicare.
Immigration Restriction- During the late 19th and early 20th century, the United States imposed additional restrictions on immigration. Such as those people who were criminals, considered immoral, suffering from various diseases, or certain nationalities.
United States's Changing Face- As a result of massive immigration the United States has become the first truly multi-racial advanced industrial society. Work has always been the greatest magnet attracting migrants to the United States. Many fear that immigrants will make use of our services like welfare or unemployment benefits more frequently than our natives.
cut_
Grade Criteria-Please attach to final paper draft.
/15 Letter contains five well-written paragraphs that are joined together with a logical introduction and conclusion. Must include completed writing guide.
/ 15 Letter contains AT LEAST three relevant and plausible details about immigration and the immigrant experience
/ 10 Letter demonstrates creativity and enthusiasm for the assignment.
/ 10 Required terms are displayed in wikispace with letter and pictures.
American History
Letters From American
Heidi Benner
9/24/09
Dear Mom and Dad,
My life is great since I came over America. I don’t miss Ireland, I wanted to see more land overseas. I sailed on a boat from Europe. The ships were packed with people and really crowed. I have settled in Fairfield, Alabama this city is great, it’s a very low population and everyone here is friendly.
I work on a cattle farm I like it, but it’s a lot of hard work. I have to feed the cows, clean pens and work out in the field with the team of horses. There is not that many people working on the farm that I work at. Everyone down here is really nice and we all help each other out. So the job gets done faster. I live on the farm, with two other people. We have a 4 room house, it’s really small but its something to live in. We all support each other.
America is great, we get paid not that much but at least it’s something. It’s better than home because everyone is nice, the food is great but we eat the same food over again, during breakfast so it gets old with grits and bacon every morning. I have a lot of freedom in the little country town. The population is only round 85 or so. So everyone knows everyone.
Being a immigrate is somewhat hard we work hard and long hours for very little money. I live on the work farm, we pay rent it is high but we get paid 40 cents a hour. There is 3 other people living with me. So we all save our money and combine it together to get food and the major needs. We all get treated the same.
In conclusion I hope you think about coming over to America. Its nice and we all great treated equally. Its unusual to get treated this nice with the farmers that we work for. I am saving up all my money to hopefully buy a house and land some day.